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Glite Dictionary
sweet grass

sweet grass

1 6.9
A grass with a sweet smell that grows near water
  • noun
  • /swit ɡræs/
translation icon : hierba dulce
  • The smell of fresh sweet grass filled the air as we walked through the meadow.
  • smell of sweet grass
  • braids of sweet grass

He says this sweet grass and sage, this will keep you safe while you walk on our land from bad spirits.

Examples

  • Grandma One Rock told her she had used an ancient method, passed down from her ancestors, to clean the sweet grass stems.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The pinto, thirst assuaged, moved off into the sweet grass to nibble.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Without saying a word, she passed out braids of sacred sweet grass to each of us.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The smell makes Louise lonesome for summer, and she remembers the warm smell of sweet grass above the river.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • We've got 10,000 head of good cows, a valley of sweet grass, and money in the bank.

    Lawman (1971)

  • "There were few meadows of sweet grass, few streams of water, and the stony fields yielded barely enough to keep men and animals from hunger.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Drum on a hide hoop, holy chants singing the six directions. The pipe and the sweet grass purify.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • But the others had already heard the death news and were now making their way into the small house, bringing their presence and other gifts for Lily: a piece of braided sweet grass, a pouch of tobacco, and a bottle of whiskey to pass around.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • There, after being fed by a sister or a mother, another relative (usually a father) would tell the dancer to rub himself or herself with sage and to burn sweet grass while they prayed.

    Academic text (1998)

  • His hands were busy with the coils of a sweet-grass basket, as they almost always were, and the grand paisley Legare Street shawl lay loosely on his shoulders, more decoration than protection on this soft day.

    Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

manna grass
vssweet grass
9.8

A grass that grows in wet places with a sweet smell or taste

is an alternative common name for the same plants

Surface Forms

sweet grass singular
sweet grasses plural

Morphology

sweet + grass

The noun phrase 'sweet grass' is a straightforward composition of 'sweet' (having a pleasant scent or taste) + 'grass' (a plant), so its meaning 'a grass with a sweet flavor or fragrance' is directly derivable from the constituents. Adjective + noun compounding of this type is common across languages and follows standard compositional patterns, making it readily understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Sweet grass names a real plant with a sweet smell. Native Americans braided and burned sweet grass in ceremonies and used it for baskets, so the name means 'a fragrant grass' today.